sacrament of Baptism, and to forget to what great privileges it introduces us.

7. Yes, and sometimes I think we are apt to get into a mistake of another kind, supposing that because we have been admitted regularly into Christ's family by Baptism, we shall therefore be saved; without thinking of the great duties to which we are bound by the vows which were then made for us.

W. But how beautifully all this is expressed in the Baptismal Service in the Prayer-Book. By Baptism a child is admitted into the flock of Christ, or "grafted into the body of Christ's church;" but we must remember that a Christian is not only admitted to great privileges, but that he is called to great duties. Our Saviour has told us in the third chapter of the Gospel of St. John, that "none can enter into the kingdom of heaven except he be regenerate, and born anew of water and of the Holy Ghost*;" the Minister reminds us of this when we take our children to be baptized. He then calls upon us to join with him in prayer that the child may receive that which " by nature he cannot have," that he may be "baptized with water." But this is not enough; he bids us to pray likewise that he may be baptized "with the Holy Ghost;" and may not only be admitted into Christ's holy Church, but may "be made a lively member of the same."

T. Yes, and a lively member of Christ's Church, I suppose, means one who has a living faith, which teaches him not only to believe what is written in the Scripture, but to receive its promises and its privileges thankfully, and to seek to live faithfully by its rules.

W. Yes. It is exactly what is expressed in the Baptismal Service; it is to "fight manfully against

* St. John, ch. iii.

sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ's faithful soldier and servant unto our life's end."

T. To bring a child to Baptism, then, is no light matter, when we consider to what a high character he is called. And, as he is signed with the sign of the cross, this should for ever remind him that he is not to be" ashamed to acknowledge the faith of Christ crucified."

W. I assure you, my friend Thomas, that it is a great pleasure to me to see that you have such a proper sense of the meaning and of the importance of the sacrament of Baptism; and, since it is so, it is with real satisfaction that I have undertaken to be godfather to your child. And may God's grace and blessing be with us in this important undertaking!

T. That is my prayer from the bottom of my heart; and I thank you sincerely for your kindness in agreeing to my wish. I should be glad to have the christening soon; for as the child is healthy, there is no need to have it baptized at home; it may certainly be baptized and received into the Church at once, in the proper way, there is no reason for having it otherwise, or for delaying it.

W. None, that I know of, and I shall be ready, whenever you think proper to fix the day :—and so now I must leave you for the present.

T. Well, before we part, William, I have just two things to say.

W. What are they, Thomas?

T. Why, the first is, that as Baptism is a sacrament ordained by Christ himself, and as such great blessings belong to it, we should do very wrong to keep our children from this sacrament, and thus keep them away from the blessings which are offered them.

W. Certainly. We do very wrong to refuse those privileges to our children which Christ has

mercifully offered to them-for the merciful offers of the Gospel are made to children as well as to others.

T. That is my opinion, I assure you, and I consider, that by bringing our children to be baptized, we shew our desire to accept these offers; and, by faith, we expect that the promises which Christ has made, “he will most certainly keep and perform." But the next thing I would say is, that, whilst we see the great benefits belonging to the Sacrament of Baptism, we are not to rest in these, as if, the child being now made a Christian, we might be quite at our ease, supposing that nothing further was to be done.

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W. No, that would be a great mistake indeed; but I think that any one who reads the Baptismal Service would never be led into such an error. We all pray that the child " may lead the rest of his life according to this beginning :" that he may be dead unto sin, and live unto righteousness;' that he may "crucify the old man, and utterly abolish the whole body of sin;" that "as he is (by his admission into the Christian covenant) "made partaker of the death of Christ, he may also be made partaker of his resurrection; so that finally he may be an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven." By this prayer we shew that Baptism does not secure the inheritance of heaven, but that it is an admission into that state in which we are constantly to pray and strive to be prepared for that inherit

ance.

T. Yes, and our Church calls a Christian state a new birth unto righteousness; shewing that Christian privileges are not instead of righteousness, but to lead to righteousness.

W. To be sure, and whoever knows any thing of the nature of man, will see that to keep him in a state of watchfulness and preparation for the kingdom of heaven, he will need Divine assistance

during the whole course of his life; he will require to be" daily renewed by the Holy Spirit," and it is our 66 parts and duties" to use our best endeavours, that the child "may be taught, so soon as he shall be able to learn," the great duties which belong to the profession of a Christian: we ought to see that it be "brought up to lead a godly and a Christian life,"-" to follow the example of Christ,"

"to be made like unto Him,"-" to die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness, continually mortifying all evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living." V.

BISHOP DEHON.

FEW things are greater encouragements to piety and virtue than the examples of eminent and good men, and to this end, the following extract from the life of the late Bishop Dehon, may be instructive as well as interesting to our readers.

"His sense of gratitude ought to be mentioned, for it was peculiarly lively. He was grateful for the smallest favours. He seemed never to have forgotten the little attentions of hospitality which he received on his first visit to South Carolina, and took every opportunity to return the kindness to the persons themselves and their connections. For the lesser comforts of life, which are often unnoticed even by the pious, he was in the habit of expressing his gratitude to the Almighty Giver. The healthy air, the pleasant walk, the sublime scene of Sullivan's Island, would spontaneously turn his affections to heaven, and excite the praises of his lips in that devout hymn of thanksgivings, the Te Deum.' His character was strictly formed on Christian principles. He referred every thing to

self, "how would my Saviour have acted under such circumstances?" In the various situations in which he was placed through life, he could always find some precept to guide, and some promise to comfort his heart. It was this complete knowledge of the Scriptures, and skill in applying them, which rendered him so valuable a counsellor in the time of temptation and trouble. He could not be satisfied with a cold performance of duty, but wished, in the service of God and his fellow-creatures, to do all he could, and to become every day more and more capable of usefulness. He placed before himself the standard of scriptural perfection, and in dependance on the assistance of the Spirit of God, pursued it with ardour and perseverance, even unto death. To be holy was his ruling desire, and was the last wish which he expressed. It was the consciousness of his distance from this standard, which rendered him so humble and condescending. The cares of life, and the vexations which come upon all, were not suffered to ruffle his temper. In circumstances similar to those in which Moses had been placed, he was acknowledged by all to be like him indeed,--very meek."

THE TWO VILLAGES.

I WAS travelling, not long since, across a very beautiful country, but when I arrived at a village on the road, I was surprised and sorry to see that it had an appearance altogether shabby and decayed. There were indeed little gardens before the houses, but they were overgrown with weeds, the fences were broken, and nothing either ornamental or profitable was growing in them. The houses seemed almost all in a ruinous state; there were large holes in the roofs and walls of almost all the cottages; the windows were broken, and